The purpose of this study is to produce missing or partial indicators on their well-being and is part of a more global system for monitoring the health of children and young people. It will make it possible to guide the public authorities in the implementation of prevention strategies. Participating in this study is necessary to build a scientific base and create environments conducive to the development of children.
Estimating child well-being to meet the need for health indicators in 3-11 year olds
The health crisis has impacted the mental health of the youngest and has shown the need for actions for care and prevention based on robust data. For this, it is essential to have indicators. Firstly to understand their possible difficulties and to be able to prevent them as soon as possible. Then to put in place actions to encourage health-promoting behaviors before entering adolescence and then in adult life.
Data on the well-being of young children aged 3 to 11 are currently lacking or still very fragmented. The Enabee study aims to:
- measure the state of well-being and the prevalence of the various emotional difficulties encountered (mood disorders, anxiety, phobias, emotions, learning disabilities);
- describe the different dimensions of well-being and their impact on the quality of life of children;
- identify the circumstances and determinants that affect well-being (social, family, economic, health and environmental elements);
- assess the links between the difficulties measured and other domains of health (for example: diseases, body size, child development, health behaviours).
The results of this study will provide indicators on the mental health of children. In addition to existing indicators1.2, they will provide an overview of the state of health of children in France. These results will be anonymous, they are statistical data at the population level of the age group concerned, and do not constitute an individual diagnostic tool. They should be presented by the end of 2022. The implementation of the study in the DROMs is being considered for 2023. Repeated at regular intervals, the Enabee study will make it possible to measure changes in the well-being of children and the effects of the preventive measures put in place to improve it.
A study carried out in schools in order to reach as many people as possible
The Enabee national study will take place from May to June 2022 and aims to interview around 30,000 school children from the small kindergarten section (PSM) to CM2 randomly drawn from 600 public and private schools under contract. in France.
In order to assess as exhaustively as possible the well-being of children and the factors that can affect it, the study will question, using specific questionnaires, children, their parents and their teachers. After agreement to participate, the parents, or adults living with the child on a daily basis, will be asked to answer a 30-minute questionnaire, on the Internet or by telephone. From CP, children will complete self-questionnaires in their classes on school time. Each classroom session will last approximately 1h30 and investigators authorized by Ipsos, the service provider in charge of operational implementation, will visit the schools and classes selected to accompany the children and their teachers.
A pilot survey was launched in January 2022 with around 1,800 children in order to test the entire data collection system, its feasibility and its acceptability. The results have in particular made it possible to show a strong adhesion of the heads of establishments, teachers and children to this large-scale system.
Appropriate tools to better inform and support participants
Public Health France provides children, parents and teachers with numerous information tools in order to better inform them about the purpose and progress of this study.
- An information kit, made up of posters, brochures and newsletters presenting the survey, was sent out in advance to parents and teachers.
- A dedicated website to the Enabee study accessible to all, which brings together all the useful information to support and answer questions from children, parents and teachers throughout the duration of the study and beyond. In particular, the following will be offered: educational resources, frequently asked questions, and spaces reserved for participants with access to the questionnaire.
- A free phone number: 08 00 94 25 91 and an email address: contact@enabee.fr are also available to answer additional questions from participants.
For more information, see the page dedicated to the survey on our site – Enabee: national study on the well-being of children
Two governance bodies supporting the deployment of the survey
Led by Public Health France, the national survey on the mental health of young children associates the ministry in charge of health, the ministry in charge of National Education as well as actors working with children and young people.
It is based on two instances:
- The scientific support committee made up of child psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors and specialists in child development, learning disabilities, epidemiologists, statisticians, specialists in education and social sciences… Its mission is to specify and define the study protocol, objectives, methodological framework and synergy with existing surveys.
- The steering committee, which ensures the consistency of the objectives of the survey with the expectations for decision-making support for public policies in terms of prevention and management of mental health disorders in children and young people; and good conditions for carrying out the study. It is made up of representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Education, the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES) as well as representatives of civil society, in particular parents’ associations and teachers’ representatives.
